Removable container



June 14, 1932. D, w, pERlN y1,862,632

REMOVABLE CONTAINER Filed Nov. 11. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1` jf a 40 mlm June 14, 1932. D Vg, PE1-N 1,862,632

REMOVABLE CONTAINER Filed Nov. 11. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 1932. D w pERlN 1,862,632

REMOVABLE CONTAINER Filed Nov.*11. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented `June 14, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

noNALn w; rEnIN, or EnooxLmE, MASSACHUSETTS, AssIeNon To AMERIcAN Eamonn: sEnvIcE, INc.,\nE NEW YoEK, N. y., A cononA'rroN o F DELAWARE BEMQVABLE CONTAINER App-mation med November 11, 1927. vsum1 No. 232,590.

` This invention'relates to an improvement in removable containers and more particularly to means for locking said contalners upon a motor truck chassis or otherplatform.

One object of this invention is to provide a plurality of latches which when fixed upon the truck chassis will lock either one or a plurality of containers thereon.

A further object of this invention is to provide a latch which can 'be' swung laterally out of position during the loading of the con# tainer upon the truck .and which can be swung upwardly after the vcontainer is in place and advanced to secure the container against rearward movement and lock one end of the container against upward movement) Another object Aof this invention 1s the provision upon. av truck chassis of a plurality of latches by which several containers can bel locked upon the chassis, certain of the latches being mounted toswing laterally to permit the mounting of the foremost container with-l out any interference. After the foremost container is in position the latches for securing it are raised and engaged and the latches` reduce the distance therebetween and there? `by rigidly lock the containers in position against either movement of 'translatioiA or upward movement Further objects ofthis inyention will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon an examination of the following description and latch;

of the drawingsl which form apart thereon and in which, ,l j v Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a motor chassis on which two containers are locked by means vot the latching mechanism which forms a subject of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view on enlarged scale taken along the line 2-2 ciy Fig. 1 of the first Fig. 3 is a similar view taken along the line 3-3of Fig'l of the second latch;

- the desired position.

Fig. 4 is a VSimilar View aken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 'of the third latch;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan Viewof the sec-- ond latch showing in full lines the position of the latch when functioning, and in dotted lines the positionof the latch when idle;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the second latch in the locking position, certain parts being broken away; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Fig.- 6. 'I

In Fig.` 1 is a shown a motor 'truck chassis upon which are mounted two containers 11 and 12. Upon the chassis is secured al frame 13 similar to that disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,524,307, dated' January 27, 1925,

yand including a plurality of transversely eX- tending I-bea-ms 14 on which are supported a pair of tracks 15. Each of the containers 11 and 12 are provided .with casters 20-which enter the tracks 15 and by which the containersare-supported andjguided into position. This relation of thecasters and tracks is similar to that disclosed in my Patent- No.l

1,418,966, dated June 6, 1922.

Projecting laterallyfrom each container are pins 22 which maybe, as shown in Fig. 4, formed integral with brackets 23 suitably secured to beams 24 which extend longitudinallyateach side of the container. In the present embodiment, two pair ofsuch pins 22 are provided, one pair being adjacent the forward end of the container, the other ad-v jacent the rearward end, one pin of each pair being on one side of the container and the other pin being on the other side. The distance ofthe pins 2K2 from the edges of the container are preferably the same so that the container may be reversed if" desired with out in any wa impairing the operation of the latches. T epins on each side are spaced a predetermined distance. apart so'that the particular arrangement of the containers here shown is not essential;

The containers arelocked upon the chassis by means of latches arranged in pairs to engage the pins 22 when the containers are in In the present embodiment four pairs of such latches are provided, each pair consisting of a right and a left side latch. Except for the fact that they are intended to be used on op osite sides of-the chassis the latches forming each pair are identical' in construction and operation. Hence only the lefthand latch of each pair, the ones shown in the drawings, will be 'described in detail,

The irst'or foremost latch 30, shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 2, is rigidly mounted upon the chassis by means of tongues 31 which extend below and are secured to the track is supported. Flanges 32which extend from the base 33 of thelatchv at either side of the beam 14 below the track 15 form a further support for the latch which is preferably formed at its inner end to bear against the side flange of the rail 15 as shown in Fig. 2. In the latch 30 near its upper end is provided a rearwardly opening recess 34 of a dimension sufficient to receive the forward pin 22 of the first container. The base 33 of the latch 30 as shown in Fig. 1 is extended both forwardly and rearwardly to provide a rigid mounting of the'lateh sothat it will hold the pin 22 and the container firmly in position.

The second latch 40 is shown on an enlarged scale in Figs. 3,5, 6 -aiid 7. This latch comprises a base 41 which is rigidly secured to the truck chassis in a manner similar to that in which the latch 30 is secured, having a pair if. extend below" the track 15 and its supporting T-beain. In the base 41 is formed a loiigitudinally extending pocket 44 open at' one end having guides 45 in the side walls thereof. Slidably mounted in the pocket 44 are blocks 46, 47, each block having longitudinally extending projections 48 which enter the guides 45. The pocket 44 is permanently closed at the rearward end by a wall 49 and is closed at the forward end by a removable block 50, which has projections 51 engaging the guides 45 and is secured in place by a bolt 52 or other suitable means.

The block 46 has a pair of spaced posts 53 by which a shaft 54 is carried. 'llie shaft 54 may be held against rotation by a set screw 55 through the forward post 53. `Mounted A upon the shaft 54 and free to rotate thereon is a hook 56 having at its upper endy a forwardly opening recess 57. 'A flange 58 on the base 41 along the outside Wall Yof the pocket 44 acts as a lateral support for the hook 56 when the block 46 is in the full line position shown in Fig. 5. When, however, the block 46 is retracted as in dotted lines on Fig, 5 the hook 56 passes out of engagement with the flange'58 and is free to swing laterally on the shaft 54 into the position indicated on Fig. 3 by dotted lines. The block 46 may beheld in the advanced position by the block 47 and the means carried thereby as will 'be described below. w' l I The block 47 has a substantially Vlshaped post 59 having a forward edge 6() in front of which is pivotally mounted a lever 61. lever 61 is fulcrumed on a pi n 62- around which it is free to rotate, being hold against disengagement by a bolt 63 and collar 64.. The lever 61 has at one end a cam -65 and at the other end a handle 66 by which the lever is actuated. The cam 65 has atlone edge, a conic head4 of one of the I-beains 14 by which the# contour terminating in a heel 67. The forward edge of the post 59 engages the heel 67 and limits the movement of the lever 61 in one direction. A set screw 68 projecting into the pocket 44 through the rear wall 49 limits the rearward movement of the block 47 in the pocket. A lock nut 69 is provided to set the screw 68 in the desired location.

When the lever 61 is in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 5, the cani is out of en? gagement with the rearward post 53 ofthe block 46 and the latter with the lhook 56 may be reciprocated in the pocket 44 into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 5.' lVhen this position is reached, the hook 56 is in the rear ofthe flange 58 and the lever arm is at right angles to the latch so that the hook 56 may be swung laterally into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 completely out ofalignment with the pinA 22. lThe hook'56 may be returned into the full line positions of Figs. 3, 5 and 6 by manually raising the hook 56 and sliding it with the block 46 forward until it is held upright by the fiange 58. The lever 61 is then actuated and the cam. 65 moves the block 46 forward into the position determined by the set screw 68 when the heel 67 engages the post.

The third latch 70 showny in Fig. 4 coinprises a base 71 which is secured to the truck chassis in a manner similar to the first and second latches being held against an I-beani 14 by means of tongues 72 and against the track 15 by means of flanges 73.' The base 71 is preferably formed as shown in Fig. 1 with upwardly extending flanges 74 at the forward and rearward ends, and an intermedi-I ate pair of flanges 75; Through the flanges 74, 75 extends the shaft 76 which may be keyed or secured thereto in any desired inanner. Pivotallysupported by the shaft 76 and freely movable thereon is a hook 77 having a pair of projections 78 which enter between each flange 74 and its adjacent flange 75, and through which the shaft 76 passes. The hook 77 is provided at the upper end with a rearwardly open recess 79. which re-- The` lines in Fig. 4 by means of a pin 80 which enters suitably formed holes 81 in one ofthe flanges 74 and one of the projections 78.

The fourth latch 90 is similar in all respects to the second latch 40 and will not, therefore, be described in detail. l

The operation of the latches will first be described in connection with the assembling of the containers 11 and 12 with the chassis 10. Before the containers are vrolled upon the chassis, the hooks 56 of the latches 40 and 90 are retracted and swung laterally into ythe position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and the hooks 77 of theV latches 70 swung laterally into the dotted line position shown. in Fig. 4, the pin -80of course being removed., When the parts are in this position, it is obi vious that the containers can be introduced without any interference between the laterally projecting pins 22 'and the s econd, third and fourth latches. The first container 11l is pushed onto the chassis until the forward pair of pins 22 enter the recesses 34 inthe first latches 30. lThe hooks 56 of the second latches are then swung on the shafts 54 into the upward position and the levers 61 are then swung from the dotted line position of Fig. 5 into the full line position, and cams 65 bearing against the posts 53, cause the hooks to advance until they receive, in the recesses 57, the rearward pins 22 of the first container. By means of the set screw 68 it will be arranged that when the hook 56 engages the pin 22, the lever 61 is in the posi-- tion shown in full lines. The first container'` 11 is thus locked in position upon the chassis.

The third latches 7 0 are next swung into the.

operative position shown in full lines in Fig.

'4 and secured therein by meansof the pins 80. The second container is then rolled onto the chassis until its for-ward pins 22 enter the recesses 79 in the hooks 77. Finally the fourth latches are raised and advanced into engagement with the rearward pins 22 of the second container.

lVhile this constructionhas been described as applied to the locking of two containers upon a chassis, it is obvious that it can be used to lock a single container on the chas` sis. If the single container is double the size of the containers 11 and 12, the second and.

lthe container locked at the rearward end of the truck.

rIhe latching mechanism herein set forth as employed for locking containers upon a truck chassis is obviously not limited to such employment and it is applicable lto many other uses without departing from the spirit and scope of this inventionas set forth in the following claims.

I claim: F

1. Means for locking a container upon a track on a platform, which containerhas members engaging the track whereby the movements of said-container over the'track are guided,-comprising a.plurality ef pms projecting laterally from Said container in pairs and a set of latchescarried byrsaidv75 platform beside said track, 'said'set comprising two pair of latches, one pair being fixed against movement parallel to said track andI adapted to engage one pair of pins and check forward and upward movement of-the coni0 tainer, andeach latchof the otherpair including a basefixed upon said platform, a

block slidable in said base-parallel to said j track and a hook pivoted upon said block for lateral movement into and out of a plane parallel to the track, said hooks being movable in said planes into engagement \with another pair; of pins to check rearward and upwardmovement of the container.

V2. Means forlocking a container upon V.a 90 track on a platform, which container has members engaging the. trackwhereby the movements of said' container over' the track g are guided, comprising a plurality ofpins projecting laterally from said container in 95 pairs and a set of latches carried by said platform beside-said track, said set comprising two pair of latches, one pair being fixed against movement. parallel to said track and adapted to engage'one pair of pins and check '100 forward and upward movement of' the` container, and eachl latch of the otherpair including a base fixed uponv saidplatform, a block slidable in saidy base parallel to said track and a hook pivoted upon said block for lateral movement into' and out. of a plane parallel to the track, said' second named-pair oflatches acting when the hooks are in such planes to engage another pairof .pins and check rearward and upward movement ofthe container. l

3. Means for locking 'a container upon a track on a platform, which container hasmembers engaging the ltrack .whereby the movements of said container over the track are guided, comprising al plurality of pins projecting laterally from said container in pairs and a set of'latches carried by said platform beside said tack, said set comprising two pair of latches, one pair being xed against movement parallel'to said track and adapted to engage one pairof pins and check forward and upward movement of the container, and each latch of the other pair in-` cluding a .base fixed upon said platform, a

block slidable in said ase parallel tosaid track and a hook pivoted upon said block7 for lateral movement int and out of a plane parallel to the track, said-hooks being movable in said' planes into engagement with 'anf .135

' other pair of pins to check rearward and upward movement of the container and means for securing the hooks in such position.

4. Means for locking a container upon a. track on a platform, which container' has members engaging the track whereby the movements of said container over the track are guided, comprising a plurality of pins projeg'ting laterally from said container in pairs and a set of latches carried by said platform beside said track, said set comprising two pair of latches, one pair being fixed against movement parallel to said track and adapted to engage one pair of pins and check forward 'and upward movement of the container, and each latch of the other pair including a base fixed upon said platform, a block slidable in said base parallel to said track and a hook pivoted upon said block for lateral movement into and out of a plane parallel to the track, means for moving said hooks in said planes into engagement with 'another pair of pins to check rearward and upward movement of the container and means for predetermining the distance said hooks are moved.

5. Locking means for the purpose described comprising a? base having a longitudinally extending pocket therein, block slidably mounted in said pocket, a hook pivotally mounted on said block, a second block slidably mounted in said pocket, and means carried by said second block and adapted to engage said first block to slide said first block in the pocket of the base and determine the space between the blocks.

6. Locking means for the purpose de Y scribed comprising a base having a longitudinally extending pocket therein, a block slidably mounted in said pocket, a hook pivotally mounted on` said block, a second block slidablymounted in' said pocket, means for sliding the second block in the pocket and means carried by the second blockl and adapted to enga-ge the first block to slide the first in the pocket of the base and determine the space between the blocks.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this eighth day of November, 1927.

' DONALD PERIN. 

